Ecolab (ECL) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026)
Ecolab's (ECL) quarterly Return on Capital Employed came in at 14.59% in Q4 2025, down 147.0% YoY from 31.04% in Q4 2024, and up 9.8% on a QoQ basis from 13.29% in Q3 2025.
Ecolab (ECL) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Ecolab (ECL) has 17 years of Return on Capital Employed data on file, last reported at 14.59% in Q4 2025.
- Quarterly Return on Capital Employed fell 147.0% year-over-year to 14.59% in Q4 2025, while the trailing twelve-month figure through Dec 2025 was 14.59% (down 147.0% YoY) and the FY2025 annual result came in at 15.2%, down 97.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed climbed to 14.59% in Q4 2025, from 13.29% in the prior quarter.
- In the past five years, Return on Capital Employed ranged from a high of 16.46% in Q3 2024 to a low of 7.34% in Q1 2021.
- A 5-year average of 10.99% and a median of 10.36% in 2021 frame the typical range for Return on Capital Employed.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2021 — Return on Capital Employed sank 366 bps — and 2024, when it surged 685 bps.
- Tracing ECL's Return on Capital Employed over 5 years: stood at 8.26% in 2021, then gained by 11 bps to 9.17% in 2022, then climbed by 0 bps to 9.21% in 2023, then soared by 74 bps to 16.06% in 2024, then slipped by 9 bps to 14.59% in 2025.
- The last three Return on Capital Employed figures came in at 14.59% (Q4 2025), 13.29% (Q3 2025), and 12.73% (Q2 2025), per Business Quant data.
Powered by 
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linde | 222.77 Bn | 217.87 Bn | 4.43 Bn | 13.17% |
| 2 | Sherwin Williams | 84.55 Bn | 84.26 Bn | 3.34 Bn | 23.44% |
| 3 | Ecolab | 78.89 Bn | 73.75 Bn | 1.95 Bn | 14.02% |
| 4 | Air Products & Chemicals | 66.91 Bn | 65.93 Bn | 1.04 Bn | -1.63% |
| 5 | Ppg Industries | 25.15 Bn | 23.56 Bn | 1.81 Bn | 13.38% |
| 6 | Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile | 22.35 Bn | 18.48 Bn | 778.60 Mn | 16.08% |
| 7 | LyondellBasell Industries | 22.02 Bn | 19.39 Bn | 2.04 Bn | 3.55% |
| 8 | International Flavors & Fragrances | 21.27 Bn | 20.70 Bn | 853.00 Mn | 3.64% |
| 9 | DuPont de Nemours | 18.86 Bn | 17.12 Bn | 639.00 Mn | 8.49% |
| 10 | Albemarle | 15.88 Bn | 14.25 Bn | 590.30 Mn | 10.32% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | 14.02% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 14.59% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 13.29% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 12.73% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 12.87% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 16.06% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 16.46% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 13.29% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 12.08% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 9.21% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 10.56% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 8.13% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 9.84% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 9.17% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 8.95% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 8.86% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 7.43% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 8.26% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 10.61% |
| Jun 30, 2021 | 10.15% |